Law & Order Special Victims Unit s01e21 Episode Script

'In the criminal justice system, 'sexually based offences are considered especially heinous.
'In New York City, the detectives who investigate these vicious felonies 'are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
' A guy dropped these off about 45 minutes ago.
The photomat just closed.
I've never seen him before.
- What's his name? - Er, Larry Holt.
He had a coupon.
A rep came in and gave a talk.
He told me to call about weird things.
This kid is posed.
- See the way he looks at the camera? - That's it.
An open bottle of alcohol.
Endangering the welfare of a child.
- You don't think we can arrest him? - EWC is all we got.
It's hard to prove it's child porn.
I think it's the tip of the iceberg.
He gets a whiff of us, he'll clean out everything.
Let's follow him for a few weeks and don't waft his way.
What's going on here? So much for not wafting his way.
- Are these yours? - Yes.
Where there is one photo there is a hundred more.
- You don't even have EWC.
- That bottle is over 80 proof.
You can't prove that's not apple juice.
He could have found a stash.
- Which is EWC.
- You jumped the gun.
- No.
- Holt knew that we were detectives.
If there are other photos, he'd have gone home and destroyed them.
There's nothing in these that we can do anything about.
Look at this.
The kid is wearing hot pants.
- Shorts.
- They ride up high.
- He had a growth spurt.
- His smile is not normal.
- Unless you're in a beauty pageant.
- How many boys go in for them? All right.
Keep goin'.
The pose.
The look.
These are taught, and not by other kids.
Any guy who takes these is gonna keep these.
He'll collect them.
- How's the kid related? - Holt teaches piano to this kid.
These are sexual.
Paedophiles keep evidence of their sexual acts.
I know there are more.
- You want a warrant based on your ESP? - Yeah, I do.
This is post-McMartin.
Any judge worth her salt will throw out the arrest.
Captain Cragen.
My client informs me that you took his watch, his wallet, his keys.
We voucher all property at the time of arrest to prevent theft or loss.
I need those keys.
- Why? - For his house.
Tell me why.
I need to feed the dog.
- The dog will be fine.
- Where are the keys? Property clerk.
You did make a run to the property clerk? - In about two hours.
- There's something in his apartment.
I'll put a uniform on the door.
- You need probable cause.
- And this kid? - Small neighbourhood.
- Let's go.
- The building's sealed.
- You can't tell me I can't go in.
- I was told to not let anyone in.
- You can't stop me.
Is there a problem here? Yes.
Hi.
- I'm being barred from my house.
- You live here? My father does.
These premises are secured.
- Do you have a warrant? - It's before a judge.
She will rule.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
Has he got a money tree here? - We don't know.
- This whole place belongs to Holt? Nice place.
Where does a piano teacher get that money? A rich white guy moving here is no accident.
Think it's an accident that he lives near an elementary school? - Excuse me! - Whoa! Where are you goin'? I have piano lessons.
So, Jonathan, is Mr Holt a good teacher? Yeah.
He's good.
Did he ever touch you when you played piano? He keeps his hand on my back for posture.
Did it make you feel uncomfortable? My dad says it's OK.
He's like that with all his students.
- You go to his lessons? - I work late.
- So, who are his students? - Kids in the neighbourhood.
- Boys and girls? - Girls? Please! OK.
Jonathan, did Mr Holt take pictures of you while you played? Yes.
But he has a whole lot of other pictures.
He calls them snappies.
Snappies? Did he ever show you these snappies? No.
I found 'em.
Where? I turned a page on the music stand and a bunch of snappies fell out.
Are they like your snappies? Those boys in the snappies didn't have any clothes on.
- That's probable cause.
- We won't get a night-time exemption.
If we don't get in by nine, we won't get in until 6am tomorrow.
- They're pushing for arraignment.
- We lose the uniform in two hours.
If we don't get in, someone else will.
- You two go file the warrant.
- I'll page Judge Rothman.
We'll go in while the ink is drying.
Photos, negatives, slides, cameras, books, magazines, Xeroxes and printed material at the residence of Lawrence Holt.
- 30 East 112th Street.
- Let's add video tape and film.
Adding video cassettes, video tape and film.
Anything else? It's three till nine.
You got your warrant.
You got it.
Great.
We got it.
Open it up.
- It's pretty quiet in here.
- Maybe the dog died.
What is this place? The lesson room.
OK.
'Please don't.
' 'It's OK.
' 'No, that hurts.
' And 43 photos in the album were obscene? - Yes, Your Honour.
- May I? Briefly.
The court is under pressure to punish child abusers to the full extent of the law.
Somehow it never seems enough.
Based on the evidence found, the defendant is charged with endangering the welfare of a child, use of a child in a sexual performance, promoting an obscene sexual performance by a child - How many tapes did you find? - Last count was 157.
Impressive, Mr Holt.
- a sexual performance by a child - The people have clearly not had the opportunity or the time to inventory each cassette.
We all dread the discovery process.
Bail is denied.
The defendant is remanded.
- 'Are you ready to start?' - 'Play it with me.
' Is this the tape you found in the VCR? - Yeah.
- This goes back 13 years.
'OK.
' - 'Please don't.
' - 'It's OK.
' 'No, that hurts.
' 'You scamp! I didn't know you were gonna do that! Good for you.
' What is this? Holt's greatest hits? How many kids are there? 'Please don't.
' 'You have so much talent.
But you need to learn restraint.
'Technique is discipline.
' 'Not now.
Not again.
' - That's not a different kid.
- It's the same person.
Grown-up.
'That was very good.
'I felt your passion.
' 'Thank you.
' Did you see the tape? We usually hear about it after.
To actually see it There's a lot more to go through.
There could be 50, maybe 100 more kids.
I'll do it.
You got Holt arraigned on possession and promoting.
We gotta get back in there.
We need his computer, - his day planner, his schedule.
- Wait.
What about abuse? No.
To do that you need a kid.
We need that kid.
OK, let's go.
He looks familiar but I don't know his name.
Does your son take piano lessons from Mr Holt? Not yet.
My son doesn't like music.
But I talked to Larry and he says it's never too late to develop an ear.
Yeah, sure.
He plays piano.
- You should ask - The piano teacher.
He lives across the way.
He knows all the kids.
- What do you know about him? - He's a teacher.
- A little fruity, but, you know.
- Fruity? Yeah.
Always touches everything, everyone.
- But, you know.
- No, I don't know.
- None of my business.
- Was there somethin' goin' on? Why do you care? You're only here after somethin' happens.
Well, I'm here now.
Then that's your business.
Did Holt rent children's videos? He's one of the most decent guys I know.
He gave my kids free lessons.
Really? What did they say about him? The guy was strict, but they like him.
Anything goin' on, they'd tell me.
You don't know Larry Holt.
He takes kids in.
He sees what they have.
That they can do anything.
- Do you see that kid? - Mm-hm.
His name is Rey Guzimano.
Heard of him? - No.
- Man, can he play.
Is Holt one of his teachers too? You know, Holt makes a difference in people's lives.
A hell of a lot more than you will.
- People knew.
- Maybe they were optimistic.
It's not the same as covering up.
- They're trying to keep things together.
- Put food on the table.
If they face the truth, what kind of parents are they? - Did you talk to her? - No.
- I bet I know what you're thinkin'.
- I bet you don't.
- Even the best parents can't help.
- The gutter at home needs fixing.
Well, you can't do everything.
You'd feel everything for 'em if you could.
All the pain.
You know, sometimes I just look at kids and think, 'Why? Why do it at all?' Because you want to more than anything.
Because you wanna love them every day.
Where is that? Hello.
Excuse me.
Hey! How'd you get in here? I have a set of keys.
Who are you? I'm Detective Benson.
This is Detective Stabler.
Who are you? - Evan.
- The way you play - Beautiful.
- Nice, yeah.
Thanks.
Erm, can I help you? Yeah.
We're looking for this person.
- It's a three-year programme.
- When's your audition? - Three days.
- You nervous? Yeah, it's Juilliard.
If I get in, it'll be thanks to Mr Holt.
What do you mean? - Mr Holt's a great teacher.
- Why? - He pushes you.
- How? He makes you practise a lot so that you can develop a strong technique.
How else did he push you? He just makes you practise.
- How long have you played piano? - Erm, forever, I guess.
Mr Holt taught me for free.
I need to ask you about your teacher.
About what he did to you.
What do you mean? He hasn't done anything to me.
Evan, everything you're feeling is totally normal.
It's OK.
But you gotta tell us what happened.
- Elton John.
- Huh? My mother played his greatest hits all the time.
His voice would get really high.
If I could sing like he could, I would.
But I can't, so I learnt to play.
How old were you when you first had sex? I haven't yet.
Mr Holt didn't? Evan, Mr Holt hurt you.
No.
He didn't.
He's never touched you? Never.
He He pushed me.
He raised the bar and I met it each time.
- He doesn't know he was taped.
- We should show him.
- We can't take away this kid's denial.
- There are people For as much pain as he's been through there is an equal amount waiting.
Is it enough to try Holt for possessing and promoting child porn? He's guilty of a lot more.
Possession, promoting and EWC will only bring seven years.
A jury's gotta see the tape.
Seeing that tape is gonna wreck that child's life.
Eliot, he is not a child.
He's an adult.
Hello, Evan.
May I have a seat? Yeah.
Erm, what you're gonna see is gonna be very hard for you.
What happened on this tape is wrong and the man should be punished.
We can't do that without the other person on the tape.
- 'Are you ready to start?' - 'Play it with me.
' 'OK.
All right, let's move the bench.
'Move the bench out.
' What's this? 'Watch your tempo.
Arch your fingers.
Hm-hm.
'Now remember your posture.
'Keep your shoulders back.
' No.
No.
Turn it off.
- No.
- OK, son.
It's all right.
- No.
- Shh.
Evan.
No.
No.
Holt moves into the neighbourhood and blends in.
He stood out.
It's exactly what these kids like Evan need.
- Somebody to love them.
- Be a part of his world.
Rich, educated.
White.
- What did he do? - He didn't do anything.
Then why are you here? - Have you ever heard your son play piano? - Sure, you know.
- He's real good.
- Yeah.
So? That's what we're here for.
If you're from that fancy school, you better talk to him about who's gonna pay for this.
How'd the audition go? Can you tell us who these other kids are? Yeah.
Er, my mom Hey.
Families.
You know, it's not like Larry's place, huh? We've been there.
The cabinet store's closed.
There's a piano at the middle school.
It's missing a D flat.
- Holt's got a nice piano.
- There's a price for everything.
- We need you to tell us who these kids are.
- Holt's my teacher.
And he cares about me a lot.
- He bought me a coat one year.
- It's hard but it's OK.
No, it's not.
If you don't help, Holt goes back to giving lessons.
Holt always said I wasn't ready to leave.
I'm no Rey Guzimano.
You know how old he was when he came out with his first CD? 17.
- So what? - How old am I? Almost 21.
- Some prodigy.
- Juilliard took in - a 41-year-old flute player last fall.
- The guy was a monk.
It's not too late.
It's not? That's Cesar.
Do you know where he is? Jail.
His gun accidentally went off when a dry-cleaner opened his cash register.
That's Ricky.
He's a junkie.
Ah, that's Tony.
Know where he is? Nobody does.
And me? You know, I still live here.
But that's OK.
- Holt didn't have a computer.
- No evidence.
No schedule.
- The tapes have dates.
- Dates of lessons.
His current students? Nobody's talking.
We've indicted Holt separately for abuse against Evan on two counts.
- What? - We could only go back five years.
That law was changed in '96.
Child abuse can be prosecuted up to five years after the 18th birthday.
That's more than two counts.
There's no grandfather clause before '96.
What Holt did to Evan until he was 16 is inadmissible.
Everything over 17 Is consensual.
That's only one year.
- That's all we have.
- We may not have that.
What? He may not even testify? He's afraid of betraying Holt.
- He's worried people will hate him.
- Talk to Evan's friends.
Cesar the lifer or Ricky the junkie? Oh, boy.
No, nothing ever happened.
- He never touched you? - No.
Why did you stop playing piano? I didn't have the technique or discipline.
Man, it's cold.
Why don't you come back to the station with me and get warm? Holt's place was always warm.
The door was never locked.
Never? If it was, I'd come back, go inside, get warm, eat a meal, a sugar cookie.
I miss that part.
- You're his most successful student.
- I owe him a lot.
You owe it to the community to testify.
- I don't owe them.
- You're still part of it.
- I go to see my mom.
- Holt got away with it for 20 years.
He was the only one to tell me I could do something, you know? Yeah.
Yeah, I do.
There's only three ways to get out of there.
You're smart enough to figure it out, you get it on your own, which isn't me, or you die there, or you do somethin'.
You know, handle a ball, play the piano.
No one's gonna take that away from me.
- Why won't you talk to me? - Because he's my father.
- Are you still here? - Yeah.
Can you sleep? I close my eyes, I see those tapes.
Every frame.
- Go home, John.
- Yeah.
Back to dead people.
Homicide.
It's much more clear cut.
Simple.
Back to photographs, bodies bent and broken.
Bodies that don't talk back to you, look at you.
- You don't get attached.
- Exactly.
Of course, you retired in Baltimore.
A few months later you found yourself here.
Another squad room and case.
- This time I'll do a better job of quitting.
- Running's good.
I don't need this.
Go home, John.
Take care of yourself.
I got two more tapes to watch.
'With a twist of his head ' - 'He told me I had nothing to dread.
' - 'He spoke not, went to his work.
' - 'And filled the stockings ' - Will our stockings be filled tonight? Christmas comes once a year.
It is February.
Give me the phone.
- Why, Daddy? Why? - Why can't Christmas come all the time? Because Santa's credit cards are all maxed out, that's why.
Stabler.
Hey, Evan! How are you doin'? - Evan? - Yeah, Evan.
Shh.
What? OK.
I'll tell you what, you just stay there.
No.
Stay there and I'll be there as soon as I can.
OK.
My mom threw me out.
She doesn't want some faggot living at her place.
- I didn't know who else to call.
- It's OK.
I hate that everything's always OK.
I know some places that give emergency housing that can help you get on your feet.
- How's the job? - The hot water cracks my skin.
It hurt my hands.
- You've quit the dishwashing business? - No.
I got fired.
I think I want to testify.
That's good.
Real good.
Do you think I'm gay? I don't know.
It's not for me to say.
I mean, I've never had a girlfriend.
Maybe you don't know yet.
It's not something you choose.
There's a big difference between homosexuality and paedophilia.
Which is what? Which is homosexuality is none of my business.
What was done to you I was forced.
That's what you're trying to say.
Yeah.
Only, erm Why didn't you stop taking those lessons? I thought I didn't think I had any choice.
Well, whatever person you choose, it should be your choice.
My guess is, when you're ready to see someone that way, you will.
It'll mean something to you.
It'll come from you.
- It won't be about what was done to you.
- And it won't be my fault? Fault? It's supposed to be about love.
Elliot, are you all right? Yeah.
How's it goin'? Going? What's going on at work? Nothin'.
Have you talked to Olivia about it? She's my partner.
How can we make Evan feel comfortable? - We just spent two hours rehearsing.
- How'd it go? He answers questions as if there was a right answer.
- Just like a kid.
- He is.
Emotionally, sexually.
This kid shut down at eight years of age.
When kids are on the stand I do a courtroom prep.
Cool! OK, that's enough.
Last and most important, where you will sit.
I don't get to come here at all? You might get contaminated by watching the whole trial.
Contaminated? You got better things to do than hang out here.
When you're up here I want you to answer the questions like we practised.
When you answer I want you to look at me and only at me.
And when his lawyer asks me questions? Answer the questions.
Everything else ignore.
Just hear music.
Hey, John.
- Do you think it was a conscious choice? - What? Holt? - Yeah, Holt.
What makes a perp a perp? - Who cares? Some say our frontal lobe is our body's armour against impulses.
- So Holt has a bad lobe.
- Do you think he was abused? I really don't care.
It's just another excuse.
This guy hurt a lot of kids.
That's what I care about.
What's going on with you? I got something to show you.
'That's good.
Keep your wrists up.
' 'No, no.
Evan, he's having trouble with the music.
' 'He doesn't feel it.
' 'He's ready to start learning.
He's ready.
' 'Can you show him?' 'What are you doing?' 'Just keep playing.
' - Hasn't he been through enough? - How can you say that? When we watched those tapes, you wanted to throttle the guy.
You told Evan everything would be OK.
- It is OK if he's the victim, not the abuser.
- He's both.
Who's next? If Evan hurts another kid, we are responsible.
In a few years he'll be another Holt.
Well, the same laws that bind Holt bind Evan too.
Mark, it's Don Cragen.
I think you better get down here right away.
Larry said that Jonathan didn't feel the music.
He said, 'How can you play a piece about longing when you haven't felt that?' Jonathan was playing The Entertainer.
It's the way I learned how to play.
What are you gonna do with your talent now? Look at me.
How many times did this happen? - Once.
That's it.
- Don't lie to me.
That was the only time.
- You committed a crime.
- I deserve to be punished.
Do you still wanna testify tomorrow? You're going to be arraigned this afternoon.
Am I going to jail? We probably could make a deal.
What? You don't think it's fair we give this kid a deal.
Fair? I don't know what I know any more.
Yeah? We're stuck in the middle of this thing.
We saw him being subjected to things that no child should ever suffer.
What kid? Jonathan or Evan? Point taken.
I meant Evan.
He was abused and then he does it.
- Some excuse.
- Do you think that's all it is? I think it relieves him of an awful lot of responsibility.
The idea that abuse begets abuse is a rationalisation that countless defence lawyers use, but in this case it is true.
He had a choice.
- Yes, Evan the adult did.
- He committed a crime.
We're cops and we'll deal with that.
But what's eatin' you is Evan the little boy.
The boy on the tape.
What choice did he have? - Bail is 25,000.
- Your Honour.
That's more than fair.
We appreciate the court's generosity, but may we approach the bench? My client can't make that.
So he spends the night in jail.
The People are trying Larry Holt.
Evan is our key witness.
When is he testifying? Tomorrow.
The stress of a night in jail would probably affect his testimony.
All right.
Until his testimony is completed I'll release Evan into the custody of the People.
- You hate me, don't you? - I don't hate you.
- What you said at the diner that night - That was before.
Look, what happened to you is terrible.
I look at you and try seeing that little child being abused.
Only, erm Now you see an abuser.
Yeah.
I do.
I see a guy that if you ever came near my child My kid must have put that in there.
He wants Christmas to come every night.
"Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house 'not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
' Don't.
'When I would play he would sit next to me on the bench.
' - Uh-huh.
Why? - It made it easy to turn the music.
Did he ever touch you? Yes.
He would keep his hand on my back for good posture.
Evan, did he ever touch you anywhere else? Yes.
During the trial, I heard from the prosecution and defence, but not from you, Mr Holt.
Do you want to say something now? No, Your Honour.
Hm.
Er, I've read the pre-sentencing report.
Nothing in it indicates you feel any remorse.
Nothing indicates that I should be lenient.
Mr Holt, note by note you eroded the hope of every child in your charge.
You stole from them.
You stole from this community.
I sentence you to one hundred and fifteen years, the maximum the law allows.
Maybe knowing that you will never teach another child will fill some of us again with hope.
Will he really be in jail that long? Well, he'll be eligible for parole in 38 years.
- But he's almost 60.
- Yeah.
Isn't math wonderful? Absolutely not.
I'm trying to spare your son the ordeal of testifying.
If he doesn't testify, he goes free.
He's pleading guilty.
He will be on probation.
- Heavily supervised.
- My son is the victim.
We know that.
We are not trying to excuse Evan.
But this goes back to Holt.
You saw how fast the jury was.
- I want that other kid to go to trial.
- I know you do.
And I sympathise with you, believe me.
Isn't the most important thing here that these men never do this again? That's not justice.
It's special laws for special people.
Not at all.
It's almost a done deal.
Undo it.
If you don't, I'll call every newspaper, every TV station and tell them how certain child molesters are worth your time and energy and how certain other ones aren't.
What's that? It's a letter from Juilliard.
Have you opened it? - Congratulations.
- If Evan pleads guilty, - we don't go to trial.
- They won't cut a deal.
How long would I be in jail? The felony carries one to three years.
A judge will give you the maximum.
If we go to trial, we'll probably wind up with probation.
- If we withdraw our guilty plea - No.
- Jonathan can't go through that.
- You'll get three years.
Look, I don't know what made Holt the way he is.
But I do know why I am the way I am.
And it stops here.
Now.